Overview

• The tournament expands to 24 teams with six pools of four and adds a Round of 16 featuring pool winners, runners-up and the four best third-placed teams.
• Australia, as host, is locked into Pool A and will play the opening match in Perth.
• Twenty-three nations have qualified, with the final place to be decided in November at a Dubai repechage between Namibia, Belgium, Samoa and the Brazil–Paraguay playoff winner.
• The draw will place one team from each of four ranking-based bands (1–6, 7–12, 13–18, 19–24) into every pool.
• The field includes a record five teams from the Americas—Argentina, Canada, USA, Uruguay and Chile—and the draw is expected to air on SuperSport.